Research

Security Sector Reform and State Building

Questions: Why has international security assistance failed? What are the local effects of international security assistance programs after they have been implemented? To what extent do certain security sector reforms affect group dynamics within the security sector?

The security forces of nation-states have traditionally been developed through practice the of combatting rivals, insurgents, rebellions, and criminals. In weak, post-conflict countries, where the development of the security forces is necessary for peace and stability, this trajectory is interrupted by third party state builders—whether the United Nations or the United States—who intervene and help rebuild the military and police forces of the country.

This book assesses the nature of this security assistance. It asks why some assistance programs more successful than others. Success is defined by security forces that are both effective in providing security and also restrained in their use of violence against civilians. It finds that international security assistance programs have focused on either restraining reforms of effective reforms, but not on methods for cultivating the culture necessary for success. The book argues that this is best done through programs that develop cohesion in the security forces as well as respected leaders. It concludes by calling for a re-evalautuon of the way that security assistance is administered to weak, post-conflict countries.

Gender, Conflict, and Peacekeeping

Questions: What causes variation in female peacekeeping? What are the experiences of female peacekeepers? How can sexual exploitation and abuse be prevented in peacekeeping missions? How do peacekeeping missions promote gender equality?

Recent developments such as Sweden’s’ Feminist Foreign Policy, the “Hillary Doctrine,” and the integration of women into combat roles in the U.S. have propelled gender equality to the forefront of international politics. The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, however, has been integrating gender equality into peacekeeping missions for nearly two decades—as part of the women, peace and security agenda that has been most clearly articulated in UNSC Resolution 1325. To what extent have peacekeeping operations achieved gender equality in peacekeeping operations and been vehicles for promoting gender equality in post-conflict states? While there have been major improvements related to women’s participation and protection, there is still much left to be desired. In Equal Opportunity Peacekeeping, we argue that gender power imbalances between the sexes and among genders place restrictions on the participation of women in peacekeeping missions. Specifically, discrimination, a relegation of women to safe spaces, and sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, and violence (SEAHV) continue to threaten progress on gender equality. Using unique cross-national data on sex-disaggregated participation of peacekeepers and on the allegations of SEAHV, as well as original data from the UN Mission in Liberia, we examine the origins and consequences of these challenges. We also identify and examine how increasing the representation of women in peacekeeping forces, and even more importantly through enhancing a more holistic value for “equal opportunity,” can enable peacekeeping operations to overcome the challenges posed by power imbalances and be more of an example of and vehicle for gender equality globally.